Mills River Fire and Rescue

06/24/2026

The Mills River Fire Department is pleased to announce the selection of its next Fire Chief.

Bart Travis has been selected to lead the department beginning August 1st. Chief Travis has 40 years of fire service experience, with the last 13 years serving as the Fire Chief of combination paid and volunteer fire departments.

Chief Travis most recently has served as the Fire Chief of Northern Wake Fire Department in Wake County, North Carolina.

Chief Travis will lead 10 full time employees, 19 part-time firefighters, and 78 volunteer firefighters in providing all hazard emergency response and risk reduction in the Mills River community.

Welcome Chief Travis!

05/09/2026

We still have some nice inventory left at the annual flower sale. Come see us!

05/03/2026

The statewide burn ban is being lifted for 81 counties. Please see the map below for those details. This does include Henderson County but please keep in mind that while the rain we’ve had has certainly helped, you still need to be careful when burning as it’s still drier than normal. Please be sure you’ve removed fire fuels from around the burn area and have a hose nearby to extinguish the flames if they begin to spread. Stay safe and have a great Sunday!

04/29/2026

Yesterday evening several firefighters from Mountain Home Fire & Rescue teamed up with Mills River Fire & Rescue, Henderson County Emergency Management , and faculty from West Henderson High School for a kickball game against the students—all for a great cause.

The friendly matchup helped raise money for Sheepdog club, supporting scholarships for students pursuing a career in emergency services.

It’s always a good day when we can connect with the next generation, have some fun, and support those looking to serve their communities.

We appreciate West Henderson High School for hosting and everyone who came out to support the event.

Investing in the future of the fire service starts right here.

04/19/2026

We were glad to be able to provide lunch to a few of our awesome telecommunicators during telecommunicators week. We are very grateful for all that they do for us this week and every week! You all rock!

04/11/2026

03/30/2026

Come on out and donate!

03/29/2026

*****PSA*****

The mulch fire at 5055 Old Haywood Road, which has been smoldering since October, is once again producing visible smoke. This is due to the recent period of low humidity conditions experienced over the past week.

There has been no additional material added to the mulch pile since the fire originally began, and this is not a new fire.

Crews will resume daily monitoring of the site and will continue to do so until all visible smoke has ceased.

We appreciate the public’s understanding and encourage appropriate sharing of this information.

03/28/2026

https://www.ncagr.gov/news/press-releases/2026/03/28/statewide-burn-ban-issued-north-carolina-due-hazardous-forest-fire-conditions

Due to increased wildfire risk, the N.C. Forest Service has issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 6 p.m…